Leid Stories – 10.01.15

The Constitution and Citizenship: The Dred Scott Decision (Conclusion)
We conclude today the discussion on the Dred Scott decision of 1857 – a case often cited as producing the worst ruling in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Legal scholar Paul Finkelman, who teaches constitutional law, legal history, and race and the law at Albany Law School in New York, gave us, in two consecutive weeks, a detailed background of the case and the constitutional questions it raised.
Dred Scott, enslaved at birth – around 1799, in Southampton County, Virginia – sued for his freedom and the freedom of his wife and two daughters, on the grounds that they had lived in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery had been outlawed. But the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling, said that no person of African ancestry ever was meant to be a citizen of the United States, nor to benefit from any rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Today we hear from Justice Stephen Breyer, an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, on the matter.

The Mark Riley Show – 09.30.15

– Trump’s tax plan would raise deficit $12 trillion: analysis, It seems everyone who tries to revise the tax system would add stupid money to the deficit. But that’s Okay, Donald will simply call the people who came up with this number “losers”, and “weak”.

– Visas to import talent help copycats to take US jobs abroad. What, you mean somebody’s gaming the system? Here’s where immigration reform ought to happen, and right away.

– Missouri finds Planned Parenthood didn’t mishandle fetal tissue. Think that will stop the political gasbags that are trying to defund Planned Parenthood? They do this because they think they can get away with it.

– Police killing in Delaware brings calls for inquiry. This guy was in a wheelchair! And of course, he was black.

– Georgia executes woman on Death Row despite clemency bid and Pope’s plea. Yes Francis did call for the abolition of the death penalty, but in the US, the executions will keep on coming.

– Slavery reparations call overshadows Cameron’s visit to Jamaica. Not quite sure how this happened, but reparations has become a front burner issue outside the US. And it seems, Cameron’s “nothing to see here” attitude isn’t going over well at all.

– Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria. Putin ain’t playin. He says he’s going after Islamic State, but he also says he’s helping Assad, thereby putting Obama in a box.

– House GOP hardliners agitate to have one of their own in a leadership role. These folks at least know what they want. Did progressives in Congress get one of their own in a leadership role? Must have missed that one.

– Top Republican admits Benghazi committee is all about attacking Hillary Clinton. If that’s the case, Obama should call for its immediate abolition. Wanna take odds he won’t?

– House Republicans are quietly advancing their next tactic to dismantle Obamacare. And the time, unlike the other 50 times, they’re serious!

Michael Krieger – The UN Releases Plan to Push for Worldwide Internet Censorship

The United Nations has disgraced itself immeasurably over the past month or so. In case you missed the following stories, I suggest catching up now: The UN’s “Sustainable Development Agenda” is Basically a Giant Corporatist Fraud Not a Joke – Saudi Arabia Chosen to Head UN Human Rights Panel Read More

Glenn Greenwald – U.S. State Department “Welcomes” News That Saudi Arabia Will Head U.N. Human Rights Panel

Last week’s announcement that Saudi Arabia — easily one of the world’s most brutally repressive regimes — was chosen to head a U.N. Human Rights Council panel provokedindignation around the world. That reaction was triggered for obvious reasons. Not only has Saudi Arabia executed more than 100 people already this year, mostly by beheading (a rate of 1 execution every two days), and not only is it serially flogging …

Jay Janson – Left Progressives Collaborated As Investors in Genocide Owned CNN CIA US Gov & NATO Destroyed Libya

Gaddafi overthrew a British installed King, brought Libya from Africa’s poorest nation to be its wealthiest with a UN Quality of Life Index higher than 9 European countries. A million Libyans out of a total population 6, desperately demonstrated for their Green Book Democracy and beloved Gaddafi outside Tripoli as Britain & France bombed. Left Progressives either collaborated with or …

The Gary Null Show – 07.31.15

Journalist, investigative reporter Nick Bryant has been writing on the plight of disadvantaged children for over a decade. His writings have appeared in professional publications such as the Journal of Professional Ethics, the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, the Journal of Social Distress and the publication of School Health. He is the co-author of “America’s Children:  Triumph of Tragedy” that …

Joshua Sperber – What is a President? The CEO of Capitalism

Ongoing left debates regarding Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign are frequently characterized by a shared premise. Whether arguing, for instance, that Sanders is dismissive of race or countering that his emphasis on economics necessarily entails anti-racism, both sides tend to assume that Sanders would be able to meaningfully advance his politics if he were to become president. That is, both sides …

When a Black Swan Flies Over Wall Street’s House of Cards By Jerry Kroth

A black swan is Wall Street lexicon for an unpredicted event. The author of that concept, Nassim Taleb, opines that most of the major moves in stock market history originated as black swan events coming out of nowhere, with a random, stochastic disorderliness that pushes markets into wild gyrations and implosion. But subliminally, everyday, CNBC and Bloomberg market mavens reassure …

The war on drugs has reached into the womb – and threatens abortion rights – Jessica Valenti

What does the war on drugs have to do with the war on abortion? More than you’d think: the anti-choice movement has been successfully using drug laws to give fetuses legal personhood rights for years. Today, 18 states consider drug use while pregnant to be child abuse – a standard that not only punishes pregnant women who need help, but that has …

High Court’s Ruling, Say Critics, Endorses ‘Torturing People to Death’ – Sarah Lazare

In the most closely-watched death penalty case in years, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled 5-4(pdf) that Oklahoma can use the controversial and experimental execution drug midazolam that was behind the last year’s horrific killing of 38-year-old man Clayton Lockett—who writhed and groaned for 43 minutes before ultimately succumbing to a heart attack. The decision not only gives the approval for states …